Alberta to introduce carbon tax

Canadian province and tar sands heartland addresses criticism of inaction on climate change by announcing carbon tax and coal power phase-out

The Canadian province of Alberta, home to the country's controversial tar sands, said on Sunday it will implement an economy-wide tax on carbon emissions in 2017, addressing long-standing criticism it is not doing enough to combat climate change.

The provincial government estimated the plan, including a pledge to phase out pollution from coal-fired electricity generation by 2030 and a limit on emissions from the province's oil sands industry, would generate C$3bn ($2.25bn) in annual revenue.